Fragility: Now or Never
by Lorelei547
Summary: He draws lines and puts up barriers he will not cross for security. Yet while these borders are intact ignorance is mistaken for happiness and false security is given. A storm reveals to Gray true happiness won't come unless his barrier is shattered. SS


**Merry Christmas Char2Happy! I'm your Secret Santa this year, I hope you like this I worked really hard on it! ^^**

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___Fragility: N_ow or Never

The library itself is quiet aside from the usual page turns and soft ticks of the clock. And while everything inside the tower remains this silent, it is blaring all around the librarian. And her usual long timed patience is beginning to wear thin. As outside the cold the winter winds are whipping against the library walls, the trees pushing themselves rapidly against the siding in erratic bursts. The bare branches especially are dragging themselves along the outer walls in high pitched scratches that set the hairs along the back of Mary's neck on end. The storm that had started with light flurries this morning is now billowing into a full on blizzard.

Mary does not appreciate this. If the outside noise had not been enough the winds are sending a horrible draft all around her. All this is piling up and disrupting her thoughts from reading each time she starts over. The initial interest of the storm -that had inspired Mary to read the classic she is- has long since faded into numb annoyance as she starts to read page sixteen once again. She _will _be talking to someone about making the library sound proof _soon_.

Again her eyes slide to the top of the page starting over but it's no use, she glances up at the clock it is fifteen minutes until closing time. Abandoning the novel she sets it aside going to straighten the countless rows of books within the library. Just fifteen more minutes and she prays her room at the house will provide more serenity.

The blacksmith in the corner notices Mary's unease right away. It's odd, he thinks. Mary -who normally sits at her desk nose set in a thick books biding right up to the last minute possible- is ending _early_…? His light eyes follow her slow stride, watching as her eyes flick to the clock. For a second they catch his before guiltily she casts hers away. Had that been a blush he'd seen? Nah it couldn't have been.

"Don't like the storm?" he asks her.

"The weather may do whatever it is it likes. I'd just prefer it'd be quiet when it finally made its decision," she says. A shiver going down her spine as a branch tip -once again- rasps along the window frame. She meant what she said however there is a little more towards it than just that.

Mary doesn't like night storms. Perhaps it's because she's read one too many horror novels in the past month for her own good –she has to know her library cover to cover after all- but the idea of this storm continuing on throughout the night is letting her imagination run too wild for comfort.

Gray just nods not pressing further. He too hopes the storm will let up soon, but not because he is afraid. He just does not fancy the idea of being snowed in tomorrow. Sure the break it would give would be nice, but the makeup work won't be. His Grandfather on a deadline is bad enough, his grandfather on a _shortened_ deadline… Gray tenses at the thought. And besides that he isn't sure he wants to spend a day stuck inside the Inn with Ann. Something told him the red-head won't take kindly to being confined anywhere when she doesn't have the choice to leave.

He just began to contemplate what exactly Ann might go through if thrown in jail when the door beside him swings open.

Cold wind splits the air, thick snow and loose branches fly across the library swept up in the wind. Gray clenches his teeth on sight. The storm is worse than he'd thought.

Straining his eyes to see who has brought the outside storm _inside_ is hard. As snow whips around her figure blurring a clear view but Gray is able to make her out: _Anna. _Mary's mother stood at the door frame winds billowing over her.

She looks like hell, he thinks. Anna's hair whips wildly the wind pulling it from its perfect styling and splaying it around her face. Even her dress being yanked and tugged by the winds, clacking and rippling like a flag. Her eyes tighten as they take in the contents of her daughter's library.

She has to grip the door frame to sturdy herself, crossing her legs in attempt to contain her dress. However the light in the library provides her a clear enough view of who is inside. Her lovely and beautiful daughter Mary and the ignorant potty mouth no-good blacksmith's apprentice _Gray_.

She if it is not already obvious does not like Gray and has never trusted him. These feelings have only been heighted at the realization of how he feels for her daughter. And although Anna prays constantly her daughter won't be dumb enough to realize –or worse return- Gray's feelings for her Anna has a sinking feeling Mary will be just that: dumb. The time to act is coming, it is in motion but this was not the time for that, not yet.

"Get to the house both of you!" Anna yells.

Mary doesn't need to be told twice. She quickly grabs her coat for the short trip and throws Gray his. Anything she can do to speed up the process of closing _that_ door.

Snow is flying inside by the buckets and Mary is not going to let them ruin her precious books. Outside the three struggle to close the door. And for a few seconds Gray is distracted as the women cling to the handle. It's an absolute ice age out here, he wonders how exactly him and Mary had both missed quite the severity of the storm around them.

A cold gust of wind reminds Gray of the matter at hand. Looking back at the girls feeble attempts to shut the door he knows he has to help. Impatiently he reaches forward and slams the door closed in a swift seemly effortless movement.

Truthfully though it had been much harder than it had appeared or he'd previously thought. His bicep throbbed at the force used. But one thankful look from Mary made him blow the pain off like it had been nothing.

Mary is relieved; at last her books are safe. Even Anna is grateful -she knew her daughter would have stayed there until she froze over to protect those books. Gray had finally become useful for something even if it was just for the moment.

Together they run the short distance to the family's home only to come across the same trouble with the house door. And with Gray's dominant hand still aching he isn't able to deliver the same powerful push needed. Luckily though Basil is at their side in a moment ready to help, and together the four of them are able to heave the door closed. And the storm outside is muffled into a far more distant noise.

"What a relief," Basil says his breathing heavy. He reaches over them clicking the deadbolt as if it might help.

"I'll say," Anna says brushing off her skirts though it isn't much help. Most of the snow has already melted and soaked through her layers. "Bother," she mutters. Looking around at her family and Gray she frowns. "Well don't just stand around let's get to work while we still have the lights. It's a wonder how the power lines have held up this long."

As if on cue the lights flicker out, the noise of the television and kitchen appliances cut off abruptly. It leaves the house in an eerie silence. Startled Mary's hand grabs for Gray's.

"Jinx," Basil murmurs.

"I suppose so," Anna nods moving away from the crowd. While she knows the décor of her home well, she still spreads her arms out in front of her feeling around as she goes. If anything breaks in this mess she'll be livid. "I'll try to get some candles. No one dare open that refrigerator. It's just my luck that I bought all our Christmas food earlier today."

"You could always stick the turkey in the snow outside," Gray says his eyes looking around the black room completely blind. He doesn't even have the prior knowledge of the house to know his surroundings. He strains his brain to remember what exactly he had seen of the house before the lights went out. The kitchen is straight ahead, some couches to the right, a tree… is that the living room? It's no use the vague memories he is able to pull aren't helpful enough.

"We are not barbarians Gray," Anna ticks her voice fading as she leads herself to the kitchen and starts going through her cabinets blindly.

"It'd probably work if we got desperate though," Mary whispers to Gray too low for her mother to overhear. "Dad should we get the fire started?"

"Oh that's a splendid idea Mary!" Basil says starting for the fireplace immediately only to trip over an extended footrest in his haste. He lands with a loud, "oof!" Mary giggles lightly her hand leaving Gray's to help her father up. "Thanks princess," her father says embarrassment flooding his voice.

Mary nods but realizing she can't be seen adds a soft, "You're welcome." "Come here," she says more forcibly her hand reaching out touch Gray's chest.

Blushing madly Gray is glad he can't be seen. Raising his hand to meet hers; she grasps it and reaches her other arm link around her fathers. Slowly –dodging coffee tables, book piles and sofas- she leads them both to the fire pit. She could have gone faster -Mary is well practiced in navigating her home blind from years of misplacing her glasses- however with two stumbling men latched at her side she thinks it safest to move with caution.

"Here," Mary says.

Basil –slowly this time- reaches out for the wood pile just as Anna lights the first match in the kitchen. "There we go," she says.

Joining the others in the living room her face is illuminated by flickering candlelight something Gray thinks makes her resembles and ghost, a scary, _scary_ ghost! He is even closer to the mark as Anna stubs her toe on stray book and starts shouting bouts of "Ahh, Ooo, and Arggh!"

Gray stifles a laugh and Mary swats him playfully.

"Basil what did I tell you about leaving your books about the house like this! That's why we designated your office; your books should _not_ be lying around in my living room!"

"Office… it's more like a cupboard," Basil says though his voice is low thankfully masked by the fire pit as he arranges the wood. "Books?" He said louder this time so he's heard. He knows far better than to completely ignore his wife, "are you sure they're mine?"

Anna's eyes narrow around golden title of 'Oliver Twist' and lightly kicks it at Mary. Mary blushes madly and cradles the bruised book in her hands. Anna mutters something along the lines of, "like father like daughter "and takes a seat on the couch. Otherwise both remain silent.

Finally the first ember breaks and after some coaching it has the beginnings of a great fire. Basil coughs into his sleeve as he ducks out into the open. He reaches for the candle in Anna's hand, which she quickly slides away. "What?" she asks.

"The fire will light everything well enough in here. I need to get a radio to find out more about this storm," he says. When Anna doesn't reply he sighs, "I can't take the fireplace with me Anna."

"Of course you can't," she agrees after some thought. She passes the candle over.

Silence falls over them after Basil's departure. And after a minute of impatient foot tapping Anna can't sit still any longer. "I'm going to look for more candles," she says.

Hearing her fumble around in the kitchen Gray relaxes. His eyes stare at the little flames. Casually he grabs one of the logs and adds it to the fire, watching as the flames lick it up hungrily.

There is only one other log left by the fire and Gray guesses they had been more for decoration than actual use, they work just fine none the less. Gray just hopes Basil has been smart enough to have more than his wives decoration limit stored away somewhere. He can already feel the house cooling down without the heater; the fire is their only source of warmth. He understood now why it had been so crucial for Anna to get Mary and him out of the library; they'd be frozen solid in there.

Looking at Mary, Gray can see she has curled up into a ball at the edge of the fireplace. The flames dancing her glass frames. Each gust outside sends a visible shiver down her curled spine.

Gray longs to scoot closer to her and wrap his arms around her. To tell her he would never let go… but with Anna so close he thinks it best not to risk it. The woman already doesn't like him; she didn't need to another reason to glare at him. Besides that he's not sure how Mary would react to such a thing…

Gray takes a heavy breath as he admires the girl. He hadn't meant to feel this way about the kind librarian… She is most obviously much too good for him far too beautiful, educated and from a good well off family. In a strange way he understands Anna's hostility, he'd want better for his daughter as well. That is if he had one, which he didn't. Yet he can't stop the selfish feeling of wanting Mary, wanting her to want him and only him even if he didn't deserve her.

Thinking back he'd always thought that it'd been love at first sight with Mary, but perhaps that wasn't the case. Sure the day they'd first met -when she'd come to the shop and patched up his hand- had started an infatuation with the raven haired beauty… but it wasn't a different day that he decided she was someone special. That day was much later and though different not exactly unrelated...

It had been coming on seven months since Gray's arrival in Mineral Town, and seven months into his blacksmith training. Siabara had finally trusted him enough to upgrade Jack's sickle by himself…

"_WHAT DO YOU EXPECT ME TO DO WITH THIS?"Gray's grandfather had yelled at him. In his hands he shook a disfigured piece of gold so messed up it wasn't even recognizable as the tool Jack dropped off the day before. "Jack is coming today to pick this sickle up, and what am I supposed to tell him? That my idiot grandson screwed up your sickle beyond repair and you'll have to by a new one?" Siabara's eyes bore into Gray's. "We'll have to knock down the price for the inconvenience, start a new sickle from scratch, get our own materials and do it all free! Do you realize how much money you just cost me?"_

"_I said I was sorry," Gray had growled._

"_Sorry doesn't put any bread on the table, you incompetent fool!"_

"_I'll fix it!"_

"_Oh no you won't, you won't be touching another customer's project again for quite some time! Now get out to the mines with you!"_

_Before Gray could say or rather _do _anything else he might regret he'd grabbed his tools and went storming out the door. Common sense only kicked last second to stop him from slamming the door behind him. Couldn't he do anything right!_

"_Bastard," Gray growled not thinking of who might hear him. And sure enough right around the corner Anna was departing from her visit with Lillia her jaw agape as she looked at him. _Well there's another story for Manna in the making..._he thought._

"_Morning," he said in a failed attempt to save face._

"_You should respect your grandfather Gray," she said._

_He grunted in reply. He was _not_going to be lectured again. And as he walked further anger boiled up higher inside him. Although this was far from the first time Siabara had scolded him, this had been his _first _chance to prove himself! To show his grandfather he was worth his time, and training. And he had _failed_!_

_Gray glared at the mining tools at his side. Was all he ever going to be good for mining? Halfway to the cave, -just past Gotz's house- Gray couldn't take it any longer. He flung the tools to the ground and yelled._

_Nothing coherent but a long frustrated and loud yell none the less. And for a second in the serenity of the woods he felt better. Then a little squeak sounded from a nearby tree and shattered everything._

_His heart sunk as little May squirmed out backing away from Gray tears starting in her eyes. "Wait I-"he started but it was too late the girl was running for Skywind Farm too scared to listen. She'd been playing hide and seek with Popuri and had most definitely not expected to be found that way._

_Gray on the other hand hadn't meant to scare her! He hadn't even known she was there! And it was just another thing he'd done wrong. Another failure!_

_Not being able to take it he hauled out and slammed his fist into the nearest tree. It made a loud '_thump!"_. And while pain shot up his arm from the hit, something felt satisfying about it. A punishment for the failure he was. Revving up for a second swing he was about to pound on it again when a small hand caught his raised fist._

_Startled his eyes widened. He'd been too distracted by his anger to hear anyone come up around him. For a second he thought it might be Mary, having come back to hear him out. But there was no way the girl would have ever been that daring as to touch him._

_The energy that had been building up for the hit drained but his fist remained raised. Down to his right stood Mary her own hand raised to cup his in a 'stop' motion, her eyes looking up at him _unafraid._"You'll hurt yourself," she told him._

_Gray was too shocked to respond other than blink._

"_Or hurt yourself _further_is what I should say," she said coming up on her tippy toes to examine his hand further. It was scratched embedded with splinters from the first hit, her eyes widened. Slowly Gray's mind began to work again._

"_Are you stupid?" he growled snatching his hand away from her grasp._

"_I could ask you the same thing."_

"_I could have hit you!"_

"_You could have broken your hand," Mary said. "You're rather strong aren't you?"_

"_I- what?" Gray's cheeks flushed at the compliment. Mary however took his distraction to her advantage and reached over pulling his hand back to her for examination._

"_Could you sit please?" She asked._

_And without thinking much about it, he followed her orders. Watching as she worked on his hand. She poured water on it from a bottle and cleaned the wounds. Then got to work trying to get out what splitters she could. "You know, I'm not always going to be around when you decide to mash up your hand…"_

_Gray just watched her hesitantly as she worked. He knew she was referring to their first meeting at the shop but he wasn't interested in that at the moment. The memory of Mary's scared face was etched into his mind, and next to it was Anna's face of disgust for him earlier. Yet Mary wasn't like either of them she just worked carefully unafraid. "Why aren't you afraid of me?" he asked before he could stop himself. _Idiot_he scolded himself. "I mean," he struggled to elaborate, "I hit a tree…"_

_Mary glanced up at him thinking for a moment. "I don't know… but something tells me you'll do more harm to yourself than me." She pointed to his hand for proof. Finishing up, she set his hand down and smoothed her skirts. "It's not very much my business no matter what you do, but it might me easier to improve at the shop if you didn't set out to destroy these," she tapped Gray's hands sending shivers up his arms for the first time. "I'd imagine they're rather important to your line of work."_

_And then she left… She'd lectured him, clearly scolded him and yet it didn't exactly feel that way. He felt understood, encouraged even… She was… _amazing_. She wasn't judging him, and she was far different from every other town's member…_

"Gray?" Mary asks, just resisting the urge to wave her hand in front of his blank face. There is something about the way he is staring at her… Mary shakes the thought away.

"Sorry what'd you say?" he asks. Even the dim light can't hide the deep shade of red that is rising to his cheeks.

"I was wondering what you thought of the draft of my novel," Mary says shyly. "I mean I know I only gave it to you last week and you probably haven't had enough time to read it yet but I-"

"I'm almost finished."

"_Really…_that fast?"

Gray nods, "Yeah. It's really good Mary, I couldn't put it down. You'll definitely be published one day soon."

Basil's footsteps come into hearing, and the bobbing light of his candle comes into view. In his arm he carries an antique radio -clearly not one often used- and in the other the candle from earlier. Which is just a little shorter that it had been before, wax lining it's base. "Novel? She let you read that? Well I suppose I know where I stand on your list…" Basil says hurt lacing his voice.

"Dad!" Mary's eyes widen worried until he laughs and lets her know he'd been joking. "You can read when I get it back," she promises.

"I'd like that," her father grins setting the candle on the side table. He spreads out on the love seat, his eyes moving now to the contraption in hand, _now how was it this old thing worked again?_

"Yes, yes we'd all love to read your master piece Mary. Though really why you waste your time lending it out to the narrow minded is beyond me. You should send it to a professional." Anna says coming in with three candles of her own only one of which is lit. She says this like if she keeps her eyes focused on the candles in hand that it isn't truly an insult. But of course it is.

"Who say's I'm narrow minded?" Basil asks.

Anna shoots him a look that states so clearly, "_I wasn't talking about you. Mr. author of three books, co-author of two."_

He looks back, "_have some class."_

However Gray is far from letting Anna get to him. He's heard her make far more insulting indirect comments like this before. But what exactly can he do? He'd learned long ago calling the woman out on her comments helped no one and staying silent –though not nearly as gratifying- got along a lot better in the long run. _However if she weren't a woman, or more specifically Mary's mother… Things might just be different._

The next gust of wind that hits the window makes it creak and Anna frowns up at it. "I hope the weather clears up for the Starry Night Festival tomorrow…" she says. The second she does Mary wiggles uncomfortably and if Gray hadn't known better he'd say he saw the young woman scowl at her mother, willing her to not go on.

Gray watches Mary guilt going through him. She obviously hadn't been asked and she didn't want to be reminded... He'd meant to ask her, really he had. But every time he tries he'd just clams up and ends up asking for book recommendations instead. He should ask her… now there is still time. But in front of Mary's parents, would he have the courage?

"Tim will be so disappointed…" Anna muses, her eyes distant.

"Why care what the doctor thinks-" Gray starts to inquire before Basil swiftly steps in.

"Funny thing about the holidays isn't it," he says flicking the Christmas tree set up just a little ways away. A red decoration swings at his touch. "I mean the decorations they're soo… agricultural for winter where very little grows. Think about it the wreaths, trees, berries-"

"Because Tim is taking Mary of course," Anna says with devious glimmer lighting up her face as she looks at Gray, taking in his reaction.

Gray feels as if the woman had just reached down his throat grabbed a hold of his heart, rattled it around, swung it into something vital then pulled it out and fed it to him for dinner.

"_What?_" Gray asks unable to hide the bitterness and blatant shock held in his voice. He glances to Mary surly this isn't true but her eyes wouldn't meet his. It is true!

"Like mistletoe!" Basil says his voice rising as he tries to command the empty room. Basil loves his wife dearly yet when she dislikes something so strongly –as she did Gray- she is cruel, _too_ cruel. While Basil favored Tim –a good friend and co-author to his next book on herbs- and his job far more for his daughter than he did Gray Basil would not interfere. Because he -a quiet more observant man than his wife- can see the way his daughter looks at Gray. He hears the tone of her choice change as she speaks of him... Whatever the blacksmith had done he is making Mary absolutely smitten, and that –Mary's happiness- is more important to Basil than any college degree. Important enough to Basil to give Gray a chance.

"It's the epitome of a romantic Christmas," Basil continues. "Yet its beautiful white berries are poisonous if consumed! You have to be careful to not hang it around small children and animals because it's juices contain-" Basil blinks. Around him, no one is listening. Mary looks as she wants to be anywhere but here. Gray is fighting between looking indifferent or hurt. But worst of all Basil's wife sat straight and satisfied. This Basil knows this is not a fair fight, and he won't be able to stop it with his riveting knowledge of herbs.

"You know what goes great at times like this? Hot chocolate!" Basil says instantly receiving the girl's attention.

"_Chocolate_?" Anna asks interest peeked.

"But dad the electricity is out," Mary says.

"Oh I've failed completely as a father if my own daughter doesn't know how to make herself some hot chocolate over an open fire!" Basil says a little too exasperated. He has made up his mind; if Tim is going to have a cupid fighting for him so is Gray. And while this cupid's tactics do not involve sabotage he still feels himself capable. He sets down his old radio and heaves himself off the couch. It is time to start leveling the fields. "Come on Gray I'll need your help."

"I highly doubt you need his help to carry a few bars of candy," Anna argues.

"You only say that because you don't know where I hide them Anna. And good thing you don't otherwise there would be none left. Ahh there you go boy, come along grab the candle. I'm sure you'll be absolutely riveted at the gestation period a cocoa bean must work through to come up with just one ounce of chocolate…"

Gray of course is slightly less than riveted... okay completely apathetic to the matter. But he is not going to sit there long enough to hear the wedding bells for Mary and Tim ring in Anna's head.

As he passes Mary he tries to catch her eyes but they won't meet his. Why would she go with _him_?

In the hallway Gray passes over the candle to Basil allowing him to lead the way but Gray's thoughts don't stop. Sure the doctor is smart... probably gets along with Basil well, but Tim is bland aphetic and... _evil_! Yes that is obviously it. Tim is an assassin running away from the law disguised as a doctor. He could be tampering their medicine supply right now! All someone would have to do is complain of a cough, get some cough medicine and bang drop dead. Tim could cover it up perfectly too… oh this guy is good.

But joking aside Gray knows Tim is a nice guy, and that makes him harder to hate. (Correction harder not impossible...) Tim also makes far more money than Gray; he can probably support Mary far better as well. Is Gray being selfish for wanting to punch the doctor's face in? Would part of loving Mary be to let her go? Letting her be happy and successful with someone else… allowing her to love another man?

Gray isn't sure but he knows he isn't that selfless, however he might as well start pretending to be. He can't believe the sleazy doctor beat him to the punch. The Starry Night festival is the most romantic night of the year and Gray had only screwed himself by being shy. _Another failure…_

Basil leads the apprentice into a back room, the one marked as his office. It is small, and the walls are lined with storage boxes that Anna doesn't want to put elsewhere. It doesn't have a sturdy door either but just a folded shade that's already been pushed to the side from Basil's previous trip.

Gray of course doesn't pay much attention to this matter until -upon passing through- something scampers across his head. He quickly jumps back hand flying to his hat. He has no way of seeing anything around him but the faint bobbing light inside with Basil.

Annoyed Gray reaches his hand to the frame where it catches on a leaf. Great, Gray thinks so Basil really _is_ crazy enough to string plants along the rafters, up and down the walls. And this is just the entrance… Gray fears for what the rest of this office might bring. And sure enough as Gray walks in he can feel the tickle of leaves along his ankles as plants line the floor.

In the tiny rays of light Gray can pick out fresh roots and vines knotting themselves around Basil's desk and floor. This man -Gray decides- has a verging on unhealthy obsession with plant life, and Gray doesn't need no PHD to tell him so either.

"You know, I grew up in Mineral Town," Basil says. Making Gray glance up partly because that statement did not contain cocoa beans –as he'd previously expected- but mostly because he needed a distraction for what could be thoughts of premeditated murder. "There was this girl who used to live nearby to my house and my mother loved her. She said the girl was nice polite and quite honestly she thought that the girl would have beautiful children. But I found her chatty, obnoxious and bossy."

Gray stares at him blankly. What the hell is talking about?

"But despite what I thought of her, I listened to my mother. For two years in a row against what I thought of that girl, I took her to various romantic festivals, appeasing my mother in what I knew she wanted."

"And what… you finally stood up to her and asked Anna out instead?"

"No, that was Anna actually, but those first two years I really didn't like her."

"Oh… _congratulations_…?"

Basil glances back at Gray an annoyed expression covered his face. This was not going to be as easy as he had thought. Did he have to spell it out for the boy? "_Sometimes_," Basil says, "children do things for their parents to make them happy. But that doesn't necessarily mean that they would have done them themselves had certain pressures not be pushed."

"Ahh, riveting?" Gray says unsure as to what exactly Basil expects him to say.

Basil sighs. Mumbles, "I'm a crappy cupid," then before Gray can question what exactly the man meant Basil sets the candle down. He looks Gray up and down before boring his eyes into his. For a small man Basil looks oddly intimidating at this second.

"Listen Anna wants Tim to end up with Mary," he says.

"_No really?"_

"Don't be smart with me boy. Just know that what Anna wants isn't always what others more specifically _Mary_ wants."

"So Mary doesn't like Tim?"

"I didn't say that."

"But you implied it."

"I implied nothing, Mary is a young girl she has options. But she obviously thinks you're something special if she's lent you out _her_ novel. Don't take that for granted, Gray. But she won't wait forever, even if she doesn't like Tim now that _can_ change."

Gray stares at the man heat rises to his cheeks. He had sometimes thought of conversations like this before. A slap into action wakeup call; he's seen them in movies before. Yet somehow he never quite imagined this sort of pep-talk coming from the father of the girl he was trying to woo…

"Why are you telling me this?" Gray asks. "I know you don't want me-"

Basil holds his hand up for silence closes his eyes then massages the bridge of his nose in frustrated thought. "Listen do you have feelings for my daughter do you not?"

"W-well I-"Gray stammers.

"Don't beat around the bush, do you or do you not?"

"I do."

"Then fight for her, she's worth it."

Vaguely Gray wonders if this is Basil's blessing. That he approves of a possible relationship between him and Mary. Yet something tells Gray this isn't quite that. Did he have this man's sympathy? Oh for Goddess's Gray feels pathetic! Still however pathetic Gray thinks it might be he can't help but voice his fears. "But what if I lose?" he asks.

Basil shrugs unfazed, "Then I have a wealthy son in law who's a doctor." Turning back to the candle he grabs hold of it and reaches underneath the desktop where the soft ripping of tape sounds. Basil's hand pulls out a bar of chocolate a grin forming on his lips. Anna will never think to look under the desk top. Basil starts towards the door but at a second thought stops him halfway.

He looks back to Gray chocolate in hand his passive mood shifting. "I may have just said a lot of hopeful things to you," he says. "But this does not change the fact that if you break my daughters heart, I know seventeen different plants that can make your death look like an accident."

Gray smirks though he isn't sure that was a joke. Perhaps the assassin he should be looking out for isn't the doctor but Basil... Then Basil grins at him says, "toodle-loo," and disappears with the light. Yeah Basil could definitely have that crazy psycho thing going on while he gags you with flower heads and cuts you with rose thorns.

Gray stands there for a moment longer thinking about what Basil has said –the non death threat part that is. Just as he begins his cautious travel out of the room a candle comes in view. Mary stands uneasily at the doorway.

"Hey," she says.

"Hey," Gray replies.

"My mom sent me to get sleeping bags, "she explains looking at him cautiously."It'll probably be best if we sleep by the fire… to keep warm."

Gray nods but the light is dim and he says, "Yeah." He thought that it was unlikely he'd go home tonight. "So where are they at?"

"What?"

"The sleeping bags."

"Oh," Mary shakes her head scolding herself. "Over there, um here-"she steps in the room slipping through various tangles of plants until in the corner she shines the light over the box tops where a gathering of bags and pillows sit. She holds the light as Gray reaches up and swings four of each down.

Together they fumble for a minute as they try to juggle the luggage. The candle nearly sets a pillowcase on fire twice in the process. "We'll have to make a few trips," Mary says finally grabbing one bag. Gray agrees and grabs two pillows and a bag.

All the while Mary has been staring at Gray the whole time knots forming in her stomach. What had her father said to him? What did he think of Tim? Was she being silly for even thinking he might care…? She wanted him to care she wanted to explain to him that what her mother had said while true wasn't the whole story... Her and Tim they weren't like that with one another, but she didn't know how to bring it up.

As they reached the doorframe though Mary knew it was now or nothing, "Gray?"

"Hmm?" he asks stopping to face her.

"I-I know this might sound silly but I… Tim and I… the whole Starry Night thing…" she glances up at him watching his expectant eyes. "It wasn't my idea."

Gray felt his heart soar at her words, could what Basil had said –about Mary thinking him special- been right? A broad grin breaks out across his lips, but he quickly adjusts his cap to cast a shadow over it. Not a small task either with his baggage, he has to jerk his head to shake it down. The second he does a ping taps over his head. It's that blasted plant again!

"Stupid plant," he growls completely ruining the moment.

"What?"

"There is a plant up there, and it keeps thumping me on the head."

"Let me see."

Setting her bundle down Mary gets up on her tiptoes and shines the candle cautiously at the doorframe. What she sees makes both of them turn bright red.

"O-oh," Mary says looking away quickly.

Gray too glances away.

"It's just a stupid tradition we don't have too…"

"_Then fight for her, she's worth it." Basil's voice rings._

Slowly Gray glances back to Mary where she stands shyly beet red eye unable to meet his. Then back up at the little poisonous plant. Gray knows if he doesn't do this now, he never will and it will forever be his biggest regret. The fight for Mary starts now or never.

He sets the bundles down hesitantly, "st-still it's tradition. Aren't there, you know, consequences if you don't…"

Mary dares looking up at him, her heart taking a great leap. Did he actually want to kiss her? His hand meets hers and he leans down towards her. Eyes nervously meeting hers, "Can I?" he asks.

She doesn't answer but comes up on her tippy toe's closing the gap between them, just as a loud shrill scream hits the night.

"_Basil_!" Anna shrieks her jaw agape, candle shaking in hand as she looks on, where her daughter stands kissing under the mistletoe.

* * *

Hehe, so what do you think? I'm sorry it's not Will x Lily. I've never played the game they're in (though I did do some research) I was afraid my lack of knowledge for the characters and overall game setting would ruin it. So I hope Mary x Gray is at least near as good. It's the first time I've wrote for both characters in such a way. (My Popuri x Gray usually breaks them up.. xD) I know they're a popular coupling too so I hope I did them justice! I did my best to add near everything you mentioned (a winter storm/theme, chocolate, books, humor, family and angst). I think the angst and humor levels could be debated though... as opinions can differ but still. Oh and I did have a scene that had music but it didn't make the cut this was long enough. x) Oh well I really do hope you and everyone else who took their time to read this enjoyed it!

And just before I end this I want to add a great big thank you to Awesome Rapidash for beta reading! **Thank you!**


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